Spanish Red Wines

We have thousands of wines. Although we carry many national brands, that is not our focus. The following are well made and generally more interesting wines that we are proud to recommend.

RIOJA

Bodegas Izadi Rioja Riserva, 2020 ($19.99) - This fine example of modern Rioja is balanced and accessible with ripe tannins and flavors of black cherry, plum, and oaky vanilla plus hints of tobacco and game. Wine Advocate (Luis Gutiérrez): 90 “The spicy and smoky 2020 Reserva is a blend of Tempranillo with 9% Graciano and feels quite oaky after 16 months in 50/50 French and American oak barrels. It has ripeness, 14.55% alcohol, and a creamy touch with abundant tannins and plenty of oak-related flavors. Drink 2024 - 2028.” Family-owned Bodegas Izadi was begun in 1987 by Gonzalo Antón. The family now owns 70 hectares of vines and purchases grapes from an additional 108 hectares in 100 small, south-facing parcels within a triangle made up of the villages of Villabuena, Samaniego, and Ábalos in Rioja Alavesa. The 50-year-old vines are bush-pruned on poor soil, ensuring low yields of small berries, thus good concentration.

Bodegas Larchago Rioja Reserva, 2017 ($20.99) - Bodegas Larchago is the oldest winery in Rioja Alavesa, dating to 1882. This wine is a standout and a great value with exceptional aromatics. It’s 100% Tempranillo from old vineyards in Laguardia and spent 18 months in French oak. Now that it has been in the bottle for more than six years, it is, surprisingly, still youthful, but it opens quickly with airing/decanting to reveal a polished wine with dried cherry, licorice, tobacco, and smoky flavors. Deep in color (from a three-week maceration), it is round and supple with light, yet firm tannins and gentle acidity. Harmonious and savory. Excellent!

Muga El Andén de la Estación Rioja Crianza, 2019 ($21.99) - Muga is one of the top five producers in Rioja. This is a new wine for them and their first Crianza. It may not reach the heights of their more expensive bottling, but it is fabulous for the price. The Muga family farms 1040 acres of vineyards, uses no herbicides or insecticides, and is in the process of getting organic certification for some of their plots. Like Lopez de Heredia, they use no stainless steel, only wood (they have 14,000 barrels, 90% of them French!). The 2019 vintage was a warm, dry, and healthy one; the family considers it one of their best. Wine Advocate (Luis Gutiérrez): 93 “The 2019 El Andén de la Estación is a new red that takes advantage of the Barrio de la Estación, the train station neighborhood of Haro. It’s a Crianza with less extraction, looking for the elegance and finesse of the classical Rioja wines. It’s a blend of Tempranillo from their younger vines and Garnacha (that they buy), matured in French and European barrels for 14 months. A quaffable red with lots of Garnacha character (it might represent up to 30% of the blend). It’s floral, juicy, and expressive, very open and approachable. This is delicious and still quite complex. 186,000 bottles produced. Drink 2022-26”

Hermanos Peciña Rioja Crianza, 2016 ($23.99) - This is the third vintage we have carried of this wonderful Spanish wine and perhaps the best yet. Although it is labeled as a Crianza, it is technically a Reserva, but the producer chooses to distinguish it from the more expensive wine that they label as Reserva. This is a joy to drink; the quality greatly exceeds the price. Hermanos Peciña is one of the few small wineries making very classical Rioja. It’s a family business with 112 acres of vineyards. Wine Advocate (Luis Gutiérrez): 93 “I love the classical nose of spice, berries, and herbs. A textbook, ultra-classical Rioja that matured in used American oak barrels for 24 months, during which time it was racked by gravity every six months. These wines are fermented with indigenous yeasts and a soft vinification without much extraction of long macerations. It’s expressive, polished, and very pleasant, really what I expect in this style, with some developed notes and a gentle mouthfeel. A very good introduction to classical Crianza at a very attractive price. It was bottled in April 2021. Drink 2022-2028”

Ramirez de la Piscina Rioja Riserva, 2018 ($24.99) - We love Riojas and think many are great values, with their relative richness of Tempranillo flavor and smooth texture due to aging before release. This example is exceptional with its dark fruit and depth of flavor. And it comes with the traditional gold wire on the bottle! (This was first used by Camilo Hurtado de Amézaga, Marques de Riscal in the 1870s, to prevent counterfeiters from re-using legitimate bottles.) Wine Spectator: 90 “Wafts of dried flowers and cigar box spices offer a subtle, fragrant thread that winds through plump cherry, plum sauce, and vanilla flavors in this well-meshed red. Fresh and focused with dense, fine-grained tannins emerging to trim the finish. Drink now through 2029.

Alegre y Valgañón Rioja Tinto, 2020 ($24.99) - Oscar Alegre and Eva Valgañón are among the new generation of Rioja producers who eschew the traditional classification of crianza, reserva, and gran reserva. Like many of their modern peers, they have also moved away from the exclusive use of American oak, using only French. They chose to minimize the effect of wood, employing only used barriques (225L barrels) and demi-muids (600L). Wine Advocate: 93+ “The 2020 Tinto showed superbly. It’s a blend of Tempranillo from the Obarenes Mountains (the villages of Sajazarra and Fonzaleche) with 20% Garnacha from Cárdenas on clay and some 5% white grapes. It has 14.2% alcohol but feels perfectly balanced and integrated. It has a serious, harmonious nose with complexity and depth but also youth. It has a soft and juicy texture with focused and clean flavors, finishing with an almost salty twist. Super tasty and easy to drink! Great value too. Drink 2022 - 2027.”

La Rioja Alta Rioja Reserva Vina Alberdi, 2019 ($25.99) - This is the newest release from one of our favorite Rioja wineries. Wine Spectator: 92 "Offers hints of toast, smoke, and spices that lace flavors of soft cherry and plum fruit, mandarin orange peel, and dried flowers and herbs. A well-knit, medium-bodied red framed by lightly chewy tannins. Drink now through 2029."

Arca de Noé Rioja Gran Reserva, 2004 ($29.99) – What a value! And a terrific Rioja at full maturity. The aromatics explode from the glass. The palate shows some oak, but it’s not overdone. The spicy complexity is incredibly appealing. Bodega el Arca de Noé is Rioja’s first cooperative and is located in San Asensio (named for the Church of the Ascension built in the 15th & 16th centuries) in Rioja Alta. Founded in 1953 by a group of grape growers, who many thought mad for working together, the co-op now has 274 small grower members with a total of 1927 acres (about 7 acres per grower). The Gran Reserva, the co-op’s best wine, is aged 30 months in American oak barrels, then aged at least 30 months in bottle before release. Obviously, this vintage was kept in bottle far longer. The result is a silky, mouth-watering wine with freshness and refinement.

Marqués de Murrieta Rioja Riserva, 2018 ($33.99) – Just delicious! Murrietta is a historic Rioja winery; in fact, it’s the first modern Rioja winery. Don Luciano Murrieta, applying techniques learned in Bordeaux, made the first newly-styled Rioja wine in 1852. His vision was to create and export a fine wine with great aging potential. His 1852 was the first high-quality Rioja wine to be exported.

Wine Advocate (Luis Gutierrez): 94! “The flagship 2018 Rioja Reserva is a blend of 86% Tempranillo, 8% Graciano, 4% Mazuelo (Cariñena), and 2% Garnacha from their 300 hectares that exemplifies the character of the vintage and the place. 2018 was a year with good rain and a cool season that resulted in a late, slow harvest that delivered grapes with good freshness. Each variety and plot was fermented separately in stainless steel and aged separately in American oak barrels for 21 months, then blended and settled in concrete until bottling. Like the 2016, it controls the power and increases the freshness. It’s very aromatic and completely different from the 2017; it has less structure, more freshness, subtler balance, and enough oomph, concentration, and power neatly compensated by freshness. Perfumed, fresh, elegant, and medium-bodied with a velvety texture. Superb! Drink 2022-2028.”

Orben Rioja, 2018 ($39.99) - Orben belongs to the Izadi group of mostly Rioja wineries, but also includes Finca Villacreces in Ribera del Duero. It’s their smallest project with just over 3000 cases produced annually. Wine Advocate (Luis Gutiérrez): 91 “I noticed better integration of the oak in the red 2018 Orben [vs. previous vintages], as well as more varietal, place, and vintage expression. It has medium ripeness and a medium-bodied palate with chalky tannins. This pure Tempranillo comes from small plots of old vines that fermented with indigenous yeasts and matured in 50/50 new and second-use oak barrels for 14 months. Drink 2020 - 2026” 

La Granja Nuestra Señora de Remelluri Rioja Reserva, 2016 ($45.99) - Part of Telmo Rodriguez’s portfolio of fine Spanish wines, Remelluri has long been one of our favorites. This vintage made the Wine Spectator Top 100 list: 93 $56 “There's a bright, buoyant feel to this fluid red. Its frame of mandarin orange peel acidity and chalky tannins is well-meshed with a dark and expressive core of macerated blackberry and black plum skin. Fragrant notes of leather, dried flowers, mountain herbs, licorice, and paprika add depth to the fruit profile and linger on the finish. Tempranillo, Garnacha, and Graciano. Drink now through 2040.” Wine Advocate (Luis Gutiérrez): 93+ $62 “The estate red 2016 Reserva comes from a late growing season and was produced with local varieties from their 86 hectares of vineyards at 590 to 805 meters in altitude on limestone, sandstone, and marl soils. The grapes were picked late with good ripeness and health and fermented with natural yeasts in stainless steel and open-top oak vats and then matured in oak containers of different sizes for 20 to 21 months. These are more classical wines, with a more evolved nose, with high ripeness and some balsamic and medicinal notes. It has a dusty palate with Nebbiolo-like tannins [written July, 2022]. Drink 2022-28.”

La Rioja Alta Vina Ardanza Rioja Riserva, 2019 ($47.99) - So, so pretty! Just a wonderful wine!! Wine Advocate  (Luis Gutiérrez): "A blend of 80% Tempranillo and 20% Garnacha. It fermented destemmed in stainless steel and aged in American oak barrels, 36 months for the Tempranillo and 30 months for Garnacha, and was blended before bottling. 2019 is a very good year for them, a small crop of powerful and concentrated wines when they produced all their brands, an exception. This is spicy, structured, balanced, and powerful in this warm year, reaching the customary 14.5% alcohol and keeping a pH of 3.54 and 5.5 grams of acidity. It's still very young and undeveloped, with the classical profile, generous in American oak aromas and flavors that should slowly integrate in the wine with years in bottle. For them, 2019 means a change in Ardanza, less spicy (but still quite spicy, with clove, vanilla and tobacco leaves) and with more fresh fruit from the Garnacha. But the year is a modern version of 2015. Drink 2025-2038." We still have a few bottles of the 2016.

La Granja Nuestra Señora de Remelluri Rioja Reserva, 2015 ($53.99) - Remelluri is not as well known as Riscal, Murietta, C.V.N.E, Lopez de Heredia, and La Rioja Alta, but its wines are every bit as good. This is expensive for a Reserva, but it is worth every penny. Wine Advocate (Luis Gutiérrez): 94 'The estate red 2015 Reserva was produced with Tempranillo, Garnacha, and Graciano from their 86 hectares of vineyards. It's from an early harvest after a warm and dry year that achieved perfect ripeness with some rain at the end of the cycle. It fermented with indigenous yeasts in stainless steel and oak vats and matured in barrel for 21 months. It combines youth with development, power with elegance, and comes through as clean and defined, with a medium to full-bodied palate, focused flavors, and a dry but lively finish. Drink 2021-28" Certified organic!

Benjamin Romeo Contador Alma Rioja, 2020 ($116.95) -  Wine Advocate (Luis Gutiérrez): 97! "The new red blend 2020 Alma Contador is going to be sold mostly through the négociants from Bordeaux. It was produced with grapes from three vineyards in San Vicente de la Sonsierra at different altitudes and is a blend of Tempranillo with 8% Garnacha with limited yields because of mildew. It matured in new French barriques for 20 months. He wanted a more classical image and perhaps a more classical profile of wine. It's perfumed and floral, with notes of aromatic herbs, a little balsamic and quite showy, with very fine tannins and freshness, as he used more grapes from the higher-altitude zones. It's powerful and elegant, and in a way it reminds me of the style of the initial vintages of La Cueva de Contador; it's clean and elegant. It's 14.5% alcohol with a pH of 3.55. It's very young but still drinkable, as the quality of the tannins is very good. I think this is the one wine I'd buy from their portfolio if I could only buy one. It transported me to the wines from the early 2000s. 10,000 bottles produced."

RIBERA DEL DUERO

Quinta Milú Ribera del Duero, 2021 ($15.95) - Northern Spain’s Ribera del Duero region lies west of Rioja and consists of a long, relatively flat valley of the Duero River within a surrounding plateau. The rocky terrain is warmer than Rioja and produces a riper, richer style of Tempranillo. RdD is centered in the town of Aranda de Duero, but its most famous vineyards surround Peñafiel and Roa de Duero to the west. Wine has been produced here for thousands of years, but viticulture as we know it is thought to have arrived with Benedictine monks from Cluny (Burgundy) in the 12th century. Only recently (1982) has it been recognized as an official denominación de origen (D.O.)

The wines of Ribera del Duero range from a few introductory wines like our selection this month to some of Spain’s best and most expensive wines with names like Vega Sicilia, Pingus, Emilio Moro, Abadia Retuerta, Protos, Dominio del Aguila, Dominio de Es, and Pesquera.

Quinta Milú is young winemaker Germán R. Blanco’s tiny operation in the small town of La Aguilera. Blanco calls his estate a “micro-winery” and eschews modern winemaking techniques and international varieties. He makes wines from old Tempranillo vines and ages them in different types and sizes of casks and barrels. Quinta Milú is named for Germán's baby boy, Lucas, whom he lovingly refers to as “Mi Lu” or Milú. This 100% Tempranillo comes from organically grown vines that average 50 years of age. The fruit is completely destemmed, and the wine is aged a minimum of six months in used French and American oak casks. The wine is then bottled unfined, unfiltered, and without cold stabilization. Germán calls this— his flagship wine— a “vino de pueblo,” which he translates as “a wine for every day and for everyone.”

Pradorey Ribera del Duero Crianza, 2021 ($19.99) - A remarkable value, this 100% Tempranillo is a delicious Spanish wine aged 12 months in half French and half American oak. The name translates as “King’s medal” and refers to the fact that the property was previously owned by the King of Spain. It has a freshness and a spicy character with notes of peat, graphite, coal, black fruit, and plenty of creamy oak. It’s quite showy and enormously appealing. Interestingly, we preferred this Crianza to the Reserva, which was aged all in French oak but lacked the freshness and was just less appealing. 

Arano Bela, Ribera del Duero, 2021 ($21.99) - This is a very good introduction to the wines of Ribera del Duero. Wine Advocate: 92 $30 “Produced from the village of Villalba de Duero, from sandy and clay-rich soils on limestone mother rock, this is powerful but not overripe, fine-boned, and fresh. Mostly Tempranillo but some 5% Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot too, and it matured in French oak barrels for nine months. The wine has 14.3% alcohol, a pH of 3.57, and close to five grams of acidity - textbook parameters from the zone; it’s ripe without excess with very integrated oak, a velvety palate, and silky tannins. Like the historical wines from the early 1990s with some rusticity but very honest and characterful. With time in the glass, it develops a precise note of licorice mixed with berry fruit and some spices and herbs. They feel this is the wine they wanted to produce from the beginning; they consider it their best vintage to date, with 2019 more powerful, 2020 more elegant, and this 2021 something in between. Drink 2023-27.”

Viña Sastre Roble, Ribera del Duero, 2020 ($22.99) - A fruit-driven with toasty and ripe berry aromas. The palate is juicy with glossy tannins and a round, soft, and polished mouthfeel. Aged in French and American oak barrels for ten months. Very good for its price. Jesús Sastre’s father started the winery in 1992. After the death of his brother, Pedro, Jesús took on both winemaking and vineyard managing responsibilities. He adheres to both organic and biodynamic practices, although his wines are not certified. This wine is fruit-driven with toasty, ripe berry aromas. The palate is juicy with soft tannins and a round, soft, and polished mouthfeel. It was aged in one, two, and three-year-old French and American oak barrels for eight months. From 30-year-old, organically farmed Tempranillo vines grown on clay-calcareous soil at an altitude of 2640 - 2755 feet. Technicals: goblet-trained vines, hand-sorted grapes, native yeast, bottled unfined and unfiltered.

Finca Villacreces Pruno, Ribera del Duero, 2022 ($24.99) - CERTIFIED ORGANIC. Finca Villacreces sits next door to Vega Sicilia. Its cellar is where Pingus was made until Pingus built its own winery. Villacreces uses the same French oak barrels that Pingus uses. The first vines were planted on the estate in the 13th century. During the 14th century, it was run by Saint Pedro de Villacreces and later became a monastery. In the early 1970s, 100 acres of vineyards were planted (it’s now about 380). The Anton family, who own a Rioja bodega and one of Spain’s most famous Michelin-starred restaurants in the Basque country, purchased the estate in 2003 and began revitalizing the cellar and the vineyards. At 2300’ above sea level on poor soils of lime, gravel, sand, and quartz, yields are naturally low at 1.6 tons per acre. 

The Antons soon noticed that plots on sandier soil close to the Duero River and some clay plots further from the river made a more elegant, refreshing style of wine than the dense, concentrated wines from the rest of the property. Pruno was born. The Pruno plots are bordered on two sides by the river. The other sides border the vineyards of Vega Sicilia and Pingus. Nice address! Pruno is aged 12 months in second and third-use French oak (Darnajou, Taransaud, and Despots y Berthomieu). Wine Advocate (Luis Gutiérrez): 92 “The result of the 2022 Pruno has been much better than expected after a torrid summer and an early harvest. The wine keeps its balance and poise, its fruit-driven personality, and the approachability from previous years. It has contained ripeness, 14.05% alcohol, clean aromas, and a juicy and velvety texture. Highly drinkable. It’s a blend of 94% Tinto Fino (Tempranillo), 5% Cab Sauvignon, and 1% Merlot. Drink 2024-2028.”

Hermanos Pérez Pascuas El Pedrosal Reserva, Ribera del Duero, 2009 ($31.99) - This mature Tempranillo comes from the Pérez Pascuas family, using 70+-year-old vines. It’s polished, sleek, elegant, and slightly rustic with moderate alcohol and great acidity. Wine Advocate (Luis Gutiérrez): 95 ($65!!!) “It’s great when wineries offer mature vintages, as is the case with the 2009 El Pedrosal Reserva, which has rested in bottle since January 2012 and has had time to develop a complex bouquet and polish and resolve its tannins. The nose reminds of truffles and autumn forest, not unlike mature old Burgundy, with hints of iodine, soy sauce, and savory. Quite complex. This has aged really well (their wines usually do), and it’s ready for prime-time drinking, but there should be no rush. Drink 2020-2029.

“I was extremely surprised to hear that José Manuel Pérez Ovejas, winemaker of Pérez Pascuas for 30 years and son of one of the founders, Benjamín, had been fired by his uncles Manuel and Adolfo. It's often difficult to gather what happens in family business, and when there are problems among partners, they have the added component of being family, which often makes them more painful. This happened in March 2019”

Dominio de Pingus Psi, Ribera del Duero, 2018 ($36.99) – Pingus is one of Spain's best wineries. Located in Ribera del Duero, its top wine sells for about $1000 per bottle (of the last 18 vintages, 15 were rated between 97 and 100 points)! With its reputation, it is able to buy grapes to make this block-buster but much less expensive wine. Wine Advocate: 94! “The 2018 PSI saw a jump in quality after they got a new winery where they had much better working conditions. This wine is produced with purchased grapes from 500 acres in ~750 plots and 20 different villages throughout Ribera del Duero (they now rent and work 125 acres of these vineyards themselves). They used 12% Garnacha and 2% other grapes, including whites that are found intermixed with the Tinta del País/Tempranillo in the old vineyards. Garnacha adds freshness, and the wine shows it—the character of the grape comes through in the blend. It fermented with indigenous yeasts and matured mostly in 5,000-liter and 10,000-liter oak vats, but 20% of the volume aged in used French barriques for 18 months. The color is quite light (relatively speaking), bright and lively, the nose perfumed, floral, and elegant like no PSI before. Medium-bodied, with fine tannins, and it is well balanced and beautifully textured. It’s elegant, more than powerful but full of energy. This is without a doubt the finest PSI to date. Viva Garnacha! 360,000 bottles produced. Drink 2020-26”

Vinedos de Matallana, Ribeira del Duero, 2020 ($69.99) - Telmo Rodríguez and Pablo Eguzkiza were consultants for this wine. Wine Advocate (Luis Gutiérrez): 96 $85 “There is a change with the 2020 Matallana, as they have included Jean-Guillaume Prats (previously at Cos d’Estournel and Lafite) in the Ribera del Duero project, and the wine is going to be sold through the négociant system of La Place de Bordeaux. The grapes from the five villages (mentioned but then crossed out on the label) were picked between the sixth and 18th of October and fermented with indigenous yeasts in stainless steel and oak vats. The wine matured in French oak barrels for 14 months. This is a little riper than the 2019 I tasted next to it, despite both being 14.5% alcohol (at least on the label). It follows the path of seriousness and austerity of the last few vintages and has a very calcareous mouthfeel with chalky tannins that lift up the finish. Drink 2024-32”

Hermanos Pérez Pascuas Viña Pedrosa Gran Reserva, Ribera del Duero, 2016 ($109.95) - This world-class wine is expensive but outstanding. It needs another year or three. Wine Advocate (Luis Gutiérrez): 95 “They are one of the few still using the Gran Reserva designation, and the 2016 Viña Pedrosa Gran Reserva shows textbook aromas of truffles and forest floor, earthy and spicy with notes of noble woods and a touch of soy sauce. It has a powerful palate with abundant but fine-grained and polished tannins after having spent two years in barrel and another couple of years in bottle. 8,925 bottles produced. Drink 2022-2030. The Pérez Pascuas brothers are one of the pioneers of Ribera del Duero, where they now have 296 acres of vineyards and produce some 600,000 bottles per year. The wines have a classical Ribera profile. Drink 2022-30”

Alion (Vega Sicilia), Ribera del Duero, 2019 ($123.95) - Vega Sicilia makes this class act. Wine Advocate (Luis Gutiérrez): 95 "From a drier vintage compared with the average, and the wines from that year tend to be powerful, concentrated and with structure. They shortened the maceration by 11 days and used concrete for part of the élevage, trying to reduce the impact from the oak in the wine. They define 2019 as a powerful, concentrated and juicy vintage, sensual and unctuous. The wine is ripe at 15% alcohol and has mellow acidity (4.4 grams) and a pH of 3.88, reflecting the warm and dry year that delivered powerful and concentrated wines, similar to the wines from 2015. It's quite fruit-driven, ripe and juicy, with abundant, slightly dusty tannins despite the limited pumping over they did to avoid extracting too much, and the maceration was also shortened. 

Dominio de Pingus Flor de Pingus, Ribera del Duero, 2021 ($125) - We’re rather proud of our selection of high-end Spanish wines. We add to it this month with this stunning “second” label. Peter Sisseck is one of Spain’s most influential winemakers. His crown jewel, simply named Pingus, has been one of Spain’s most sought-after wines since its first bottling in 1995. Current vintages now retail for a staggering $1,100+ per bottle!! You could say that it is Spain’s equivalent of DRC. The fruit for Flor de Pingus is taken from some of the same estate vineyards as its namesake, but younger vines: 35-40 years for Flor, 100+ for Pingus. The 2021 Flor is predominantly Tempranillo with a small dose of Garnacha for lift, fruit, and acidity. 

Wine Advocate (Luis Gutiérrez): 95+ “From La Horra, made with small vinifications by plot and then blended, so it’s the wine they feel is most their style. They look for texture, delicacy, and elegance. The nose is very subtle and harmonious, super clean, and with a lot of focus. There are no traces of oak. This has a velvety texture, an elegant mouthfeel, and some restraint (he thinks the warm summer in 2021 made the plants slow down), and it is fresher than the wine from 2020. There's a very fine thread, with chalky and very elegant tannins. Starting in 2023, the wine will be certified organic. Drink 2024-2030.” Vinous: 95 “From several vineyards in La Horra, and spent 18 months in French oak barrels [20% new]. Purple in hue. The complex, subtle aromas include sour cherry and blueberry intertwined with rose, herbs, and garrigue hints. On the palate, it’s dry and velvety with a balanced, fairly intense, chalky character that’s high on energy. A distinctive, delicious red that reflects a modern approach to Ribera.”

Finca Villacreces Nebro, Ribera del Duero, 2021 ($225 net) - CERTIFIED ORGANIC, this is Villacreces’ top wine. They only make 1250 bottles and 100 magnums. VERY limited. Wine Advocate (Luis Gutiérrez): 95 “The top of the range is the single-vineyard Nebro, sourced from a 1.2-hectare plot of old vines planted in 1920 in Olmedillo at 850 meters on alluvial soils with limestone and clay, covered by sand. They consider 2021 a classical vintage, and the cooler conditions and better availability of water produced a fresher, more elegant, and more balanced wine. They also pushed in that direction, picking the grapes to achieve a wine with 14.1% alcohol and good acidity and freshness and being careful with the élevage, which was in a 1,200-liter oak foudre. It’s the most elegant Nebro I can remember, perfumed, aromatic, and floral with a medium-bodied palate, very fine tannins, and great purity of flavors. Drink 2024-2034.

“Starting with the 2021 harvest, all of the vineyards and wines are certified organic. This project from the Izadi/Artevino group changed their viticulture in 2022 to be able to harvest earlier as they searched for wines with lower alcohol and more longevity, also pushed by water scarcity. The wines see less new wood, are co-fermented with some white, and use some full clusters.”

OTHER 

Lolea No 1 Red Sangria, Spain ($14.99) joins the No 2 White Sangria that was such a hit for us last year. Both are delicious! The Red is made from Tempranillo and Cabernet with citrus, soft peach, and a touch of cinnamon. The white is made from Macabeo and Airen with citrus, peach, and vanilla that make it juicy and fresh.

Bodegas Terra Sigilata Filón Real, Catalayud-Spain, 2019 ($19.99) - DO Calatayud lies about 2/3 the way from Barcelona to Madrid. It consists of 5600 hectares of vineyards in the valley of the River Ebro, which flows south from Rioja. The landscape is reminiscent of parts of Utah and Arizona, with tall red buttes and dry arroyos in a high plains atmosphere. The vineyards are on south-facing slopes of the Sierra de la Virgen range at heights of between 550m and 1000m. The soil is stoney and poor in nutrients but with good permeability, so the roots are able to obtain the water and nutrients they need from deep underground.

Bodegas Terra Sigilata is a small winery named after the Roman ceramic factories that made amphorae from the local red clay soil. At up to 1000 meters, the highest point at which Grenache will thrive, old Gren-ache vines produce dark, concentrated fruit that in turn makes rich, expressive wine. This bold red shows roasted cherry and bitter chocolate flavors backed by light, firm tannins and balsamic acidity. This is ripe and heady, but the finish is fresh. We also carry the regular Filón at $14.99.

Bodegas Estefania Tilenus Mencia Roble, Bierzo-Spain, 2017 ($19.99) - The Mencia grape of northwest Spain and Portugal (where it is called Jaen do Dão) hasn’t yet caught on with the American public, perhaps because of its often dusty dry character. They are traditionally light, fragrant reds from fertile plains (you know, the rain in Spain falls…) and made for early consumption, but young upstart winemakers have been making far more concentrated and complex wines, primarily from old vines growing on hillsides, often on schist soil. This excellent example comes from vines between 60 and 80 years old at altitudes between 1800 and 2600 feet! It has good depth and very ripe fruit. After fermentation with native yeasts, the wine spent a few months in barrel, rounding it out and giving it some class to go with its substance. Long finish.

Bodegas Estefanía was established in 1999 when the Frias family converted an old creamery located in the village of Dehesas, in Ponferrada – Castilla y León. Tilenus, the name of its main line of wines, was taken from the Celtic god “Teleno,” the equivalent to the Roman god Mars. Winemaker Raúl Pérez is a legend who has influenced a new generation of Spanish winemakers. Despite his traditional training, Pérez has gradually eschewed winemaking orthodoxy to capture the essence of the vineyards and soils where he works. His wines are usually field blends of Mencía (it is standard to find Alicante Bouschet, Bastardo, Palomino, Dona Blanca, Godello, or Malvasía mixed in the Bierzo vineyards). He claims to have found a balance between early harvesting and long macerations (two to five months). This allows him to preserve acidity and extract and polymerize tannins through the use of natural oxygenation in oak. Pérez no longer uses cooling devices in his winery, and his wines are aged in neutral oak (foudres or used barrique). He has recently begun using flor (a veil of yeasts) to gain complexity and as a means of natural protection during the aging process to avoid adding sulfur.

The Wine Advocate’s Luis Gutiérrez says, “Raúl is a free spirit, he does and doesn’t do, he goes from place to place, he doesn’t stop inventing, he doesn’t stop creating, he doesn’t stop tasting, he changes and changes again and again.” Bettaane + Desseauve Wine Guide awarded him “the best winemaker in the world.”

Rubén Díaz (the guy) Vinadores de Gredos Paso (the company) La Escalera (the wine) Garnacha (the grape), Cebreros-Spain, 2018 ($23.99) - One of the few producers in Cebreros actually born and raised there, Rubén rents a small winery and works 22 acres of vines. He also works and/or purchases from almost 9 acres in the nearby town of San Bartolomé de Pinares. This is his entry-level red, from four granite plots and one of slate at 2460 to 2790 feet. It has a bright red ruby color and an expressive nose of red berries, wild herbs, and flowers. Very tasty and vibrant, it has fine-grained tannins and finishes long and dry. This is ripe without excess and has a low pH of 3.25, which translates to a sensation of freshness. The vintage had some challenges, but overall this has great potential. Unusual today, Diaz’s grapes see foot treading. They are then pressed and fermented with indigenous yeasts in plastic bins. The wine matures in used 225-liter oak barrels for 10 months, keeping the vineyards separated until the end when they decide on the final blend. which then rests in stainless steel until bottling. There is lovely rusticity here and tons of character, reflecting the poor soils from the zone. Quite delicious! 

Viñedo del Jorco Cebreros El Jorco, Castilla y Léon-Spain, 2018 ($29.99) - PDO Cebreros is located west of Madrid in the Sierra de Gredos Mountains. César Ruiz, Flequi Berruti, Nacho Jimenez, and superstar winemaker Raul Perez started this project in 2009, focusing on high-elevation Garnacha. They started with purchased grapes, then bought a 6-acre vineyard of bush-pruned Garnacha that had been planted in 1915! At this altitude (up to 3900 feet), Grenache makes a wine that is more like Pinot Noir than Chateauneuf-du-Pape. Vinous: 91 “Deep violet. Lively cherry and blueberry scents pick up baking spice and game accents as the wine opens up. Lively and precise on the palate, offering bitter cherry, cassis, and smoked meat flavors that turn sweeter through the back half. Closes long, smoky, and tight with a repeating cherry note and firm tannic grip.” Unfined and unfiltered. Fresh, light, and relatively low in alcohol with great finesse, refinement, and intensity of fruit. Practicing organic, not certified.

Costers de Priorat Pissarres, Priorat-Spain, 2020 ($30.99) - The wines of Priorat are highly regarded by wine geeks and somms, but they haven’t caught on with the general public. This is surprising because they are just what many are looking for: big, delicious fruit; modest tannins so they drink well when young; fine overall balance; and good integration of oak and fruit. This one comes from slope vineyards and is named after the slate soils where the grapes grow. It’s a blend of 40% Grenache and 60% Carignan aged 12 months in some 1st and 2nd-year barrique and mostly 500-liter barrels (2x the size of barrique). Absolutely delicious with a nice spiciness! It's a textbook Priorat with aromas of wet slate, graphite, thyme, rosemary, and black cherry, an earthy palate with good acidity, and pungent flavors. Powerful yet balanced. Akin to a lighter Châteauneuf. Costers del Priorat is a young enterprise, created in 2005 by five friends from Bellmunt del Priorat. They own vineyards in Torroja and Bellmunt and produce just over 4000 cases from their 17 hectares of vineyards. The wines are true to their birthplace. 

Bodegas Teso La Monja Almirez, Toro-Spain, 2020 ($36.99) - Certified organic! 100% Tinta de Toro (Tempranillo). The Eguren family created the highly regarded Numanthia-Termes winery in Toro before selling it to the luxury goods company LVMH (Moët-Hennessey Louis Vuitton owns Tiffany, Dior, Fendi, Givenchy, Sephora, and Bulgari among many others. In the alcohol division, they own Château d’Yquem, Ardbeg, Belvedere, Château Cheval Blanc, Cloudy Bay, Dom Pérignon, Glenmorangie, Joseph Phelps, Newton Vineyard, Domaine Ruinart, and Veuve Clicquot among many others.) The Egerens then purchased this existing vineyard, where the older vines (the primary source for this wine) are head-trained goblet vines that are dry-farmed. The soil at this high altitude in the Duero Valley is sand with a high percentage of clay and stones. Wine Advocate (Luis Gutiérrez): 93 “From 103 acres of vines ranging between 15 and 65 years of age. It fermented for 20 days, followed by malolactic in barrel and 14 months in French barrique, 30% of them new. The wine is quite approachable and has finesse; it’s fine-boned, more fluid and refined than in other years. August rain resulted in larger grapes with more juice, and the wine is quite approachable, even at this young age. It’s expressive, clean, and powerful with 14.81% alcohol that goes unnoticed. It has abundant, fine-grained tannins and some creaminess and spiciness from the time in barrel, developing some mintiness with time in the glass; later, there’s more licorice and even aniseed and fennel aromas. Drink 2023-29.” 

Bodegas Margón Pricum Paraje de El Santo Prieto Picudo Leon, 2014 ($49.99) - The Prieto Picudo grape is native to the Tierre de León region of north-central Spain. Eugenio González and Alfredo Martínez Cuervo began Bodegas Margón in 2006 with young Raúl Perez as their winemaker. The wines immediately garnered great press and a loyal following in Europe, but with limited production, they never made it to the U.S. Until now! A total of fifteen 6-packs of this wine were imported; we got one of them! Wine Advocate (Luis Gutiérrez): 94 “The most aromatic [of their] reds. The grapes from old vines planted on sandy soils in conjunction with the cooler year delivered a wine with less alcohol and higher acidity, more freshness, and a more elegant profile, all within the rusticity of the grape and the zone. It has a floral touch intermixed with spices and an earthy touch. The palate reveals abundant fine-grained tannins. This vintage is a little less austere and has character and a strong personality. 2,100 bottles were filled in December 2016. Drink 2020-28. Margón is the quality leader in the small Tierra de León appellation. They have 75 small plots that total 47 acres, most of them extremely old (over 100 years old!).” Obviously very limited!

Clos i Terrasses Laurel, Priorat-Spain, 2021 ($75) - This is the second wine of Clos Erasmus, a $300 wine and one of Spain’s greatest. Wine Advocate (Luis Gutiérrez): 96 “Produced with grapes from younger vines, between five and 40 years old, and a blend of 80% Garnacha, 11% Syrah, and 9% Cabernet Sauvignon. The grapes were cooled for 24 hours before sorting and destemming, then put in the vat where they warmed up and started fermenting naturally. They did a soft vinification with short pumping overs to avoid extraction, and the fermentation lasted two to three weeks followed by four weeks of maceration. The wine matured in oak vat, barrel, and amphorae for 18 months. It is super aromatic, floral, and expressive; clean and elegant; delicate and ethereal. It has a velvety palate that is nicely textured, seamless, elegant, and balanced with a focused, clean, long finish. I see the meaty side of Syrah here. It has 14.5% alcohol with a pH of 3.3. The oak is completely integrated despite the [wine’s youth]. Drink 2024-32.”

Algueira Dolio, Ribeira Sacra, 2019 ($79.99) - Wine Advocate (Luis Gutiérrez): 95 $85 “The 2019 Dolio is a cuvée of Mencía, Brancellao (quite a lot here), Sousón, Caíño, and Garnacha Tintorera. It was created as a blend with the help of Telmo Rodríguez and Pablo Eguzkiza in this first vintage, but they should go much further in future years. They selected north- and west-facing vineyards to achieve more freshness in the wine, trying to reflect the huge potential of Ribeira Sacra. The full clusters were foot trodden and fermented in a tronconic oak vat with indigenous yeasts and matured in 225-liter barrels and 2,000-liter foudres for 24 months. But the wine has no influence from the wood and is floral and perfumed. It has good grip, fine tannins, moderate ripeness,14% alcohol, and it is very clean and balanced with elegance and precision. The best wine from Algueira recently.”

Clos Mogador, Priorat-Spain, 2019 ($110) - This iconic Spanish wine has received Wine Advocate ratings between 96 and 99 for every vintage since 2011! Clos Mogador was founded in 1979. The 50-acre, dry-farmed (no irrigation) vineyard sits on schistous slate and quartz soil at an 1150-foot elevation. This, Rene Barbier’s flagship wine, is a blend of 40% Garnacha (80-year-old vines), 20% Cariñena, 20% Syrah, and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon. It spent 18 months in a mix of French (Never and Allier oak) barrique (300 liter) and foudre (2000 liter). Wine Advocate: 99! “The flagship and eponymous 2019 Clos Mogador is nothing short of phenomenal. They have done a lot of improvements in the vineyard work since the arrival of Christian, son of René Barbier, who is big-time into regenerative agriculture. They are abandoning barrels and going for more and more foudres (they started the transition in 2011, and in 2020 it was 100% foudre). As I see in other wines from 2019, the wine has lots of everything, stuffing, power, and concentration but also balance. This has to be one of the finest vintages ever for Mogador; it's a compact wine with lots of aging potential. 28,000 bottles produced. It was a year of good quality and quantity. Drink 2023-39. The 2019s from Clos Mogador are some of the best wines they have ever produced.” Very limited!